Online Training and e-Learning - Page 2

Disadvantages

Whilst the benefits and reasons for online learning are many, there are also some downsides that must be considered before abandoning conventional training altogether!

Although doing a course on the internet may be more convenient, it is hard for the manager of a firm to make sure that the person has actually attempted the course. With classroom-based training the person will have to sign-in in the morning, and they will have colleagues who can vouch for their attendance. In this way managers know that the worker has attended the course, whereas it is easy for a person to lie and say they have done an internet course when in actual fact they have not.

A key point to remember is that all people are different and feel happier learning in different ways. In this respect, some people will prefer to be taught in a classroom environment with other delegates there with which to discuss ideas and opinions. Online courses are solitary, with no human interaction. Whilst some people will prefer learning in this way, others will be firmly against it and will not benefit fully from the information provided in the course.

The topic of human interaction also covers the next drawback of online courses; the user does not have a trainer to ask for help or question if there is something they do not understand. Some online courses go part way in that they have multiple choice questions at stages throughout so the user has some idea of how much they are learning, but this is a poor substitute for having a knowledgeable, human trainer on hand to ask questions and provide feedback.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is up to those individuals within an organisation to choose the type of training that they think will provide the most benefit to the people who undertaking the training. They will need to weigh up the pros and cons for both online courses and conventional classroom-based training and decide which is most suitable.

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